Becoming struck with a disability can permanently change a person's life. Whether it be a personal relationship, a set of job skills, or the stability of one's health, very little is left unadulterated in life after the onset of a debilitating illness or serious injury. Many in these situations are fortunate enough to have the Social Security Administration's disability benefits program available to them. However, that turn of good fortune is not always extended to those who need it the most.

There are a number of reasons that the vast majority of Social Security disability claims out of Wisconsin are denied the first time around. One reason is that because the application process is very complicated applicants often fail to provide sufficient documentation of their disabilities. Another reason is that the Social Security Administration has an immense backlog of applications, so individual judges fail to give each application the attention it deserves.

We are continuing our discussion of a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision. The case started with a man, HIV-positive and near death, applying for Social Security disability benefits. It ended with a majority decision that the Privacy Act does not allow damages for mental and emotional distress claims.

On behalf of Alan C. Olson & Associates on Thursday, November 3, 2011.

As discussed previously in this blog, Compassionate Allowances Conditions are those medical conditions where the nature of the disease or condition meets the statutory standard for disability. A claimant with a diagnosis of a Compassionate Allowance conditions benefits from a quicker decision and award of benefits. These types of claims are "fast-tracked" for a decision.

Workers in the New Berlin area and other areas of Wisconsin who are not able to work because of disability may be familiar with the long review process for Social Security Disability Insurance. A directive given by managers at the Social Security Administration did not help approval times when Social Security Disability judges and workers were told to slow down the review process on purpose.

Heart disease affects millions of Americans and many people in the United States who have heart disease and are unable to work because of the disease turn to Social Security Disability Insurance for support. Those who have heart disease and look to Social Security Disability for assistance may have an easier time applying in the future. The Social Security Administration is currently considering whether to add heart disease to its list of conditions that qualify for a Compassionate Allowance.

A Social Security Disability judge subject to multiple investigations because of his disproportionately high approval rate of disability benefits retired last week. The story of the judge's high disability approval rate has created the impetus for an overall review of the methods that Social Security Disability judges use to determine approval of disability benefits.

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